🇷🇺Nikolai Karlovich Medtner ： Two Fairy Tales No.1 in c-moll Op.8-1

The first piece in Medtner’s Two Fairy Tales is a character piece that condenses a narrative sense of tension into a brief span. An expressive motif unfolds in changing forms, while weighty chordal sonorities intersect with lyrical melodies that emerge in songful phrases. The contrasts in pace and dynamics, suggesting shifts between scenes, are among its most compelling features; clarifying the role of each voice also makes the musical flow easier to perceive. In performance, it is important to preserve the inner momentum of the beat without allowing the music to become merely hurried, and to bring the melody fully to the fore. The pedal should be used carefully in accordance with the harmonic changes, without clouding the sonority.